Pittsburgh Smart Traffic Control (Pittsburgh - United States of America)

Case Study

Pittsburgh Smart Traffic Control (Pittsburgh - United States of America)

The city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is piloting a new smart traffic management system that is combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI). The innovative system is called Surtrac and in 2016 it had already been installed at 50 intersections in the city.

Surtrac reduces travel time by 25% and traffic congestions by 40%, using radar sensors and cameras incorporated in Pittsburgh’s traffic lights. The big data collected by these sensors is used by AI to identify the most problematic areas in terms of traffic conditions and optimise circulation in urban roads in real time. The system responds to the dynamic shifts in dominant traffic flows throughout the day, allowing a more efficient response to every situation.

The most innovative characteristic of Surtrac is its decentralised approach to traffic control. The intelligent traffic signals of each intersection respond directly, in real-time, to their own incoming vehicle flows, and then they communicate the projected outflows to neighbour intersections. This enables high responsiveness to road conditions and a more coordinated effort in managing traffic flows, thus reducing CO2 emissions by 20%.

Intelligent traffic signals also have the potential to communicate with autonomous vehicles to further improve traffic flow.